Want to see my DMM? Vintage Gear!
rwgast_logicdesign
Posts: 1,464
So I spend most of my time on the EEVBlog forum these days, Im really in to analog electronics and trying to avoid micros if I can. I still use the prop as my #1 go to platform, just try to keep code out of the equation if possible to speed up development. Anyways I got my ham licence because im really in to SDR and SATCOM when I dont feel like writing code or using a soldering iron, Im acually getting a new house with a separated lab which has A/C etc, and I plan on using a CBAND dish with an SDR to do radio astronomy and and SETI League. Anyways point being is meeting other hams Ive got some cool scores for free! So ive been restoring a lot of vintage stuff! Well I got this working, but its about 20mV out of cal according to my voltage standard. I plan to restore it I want to touch up the original wiring and got heathkit color matching paint.
Here is one of the first era 2.5 digit Nixie tube based DMM's fully functional! I talk to Andy North outside of the forums and he thought you guys may enjoy seeing this, even though this isnt a gear head forum like EEVBlog
The cover really needs a repaint and the binding posts should be replaced. Im scared to touch it up, I have the paint and everything but I here restoration degrades the value. I plan to use it when 2.5 digits is fine for a quick test. My 16 month old daughter already knows component names and watches eevblog with me, so I went out and got an RS 200 in 1 kit for here in the coming years, I was hoping to pass it down,
Here is one of the first era 2.5 digit Nixie tube based DMM's fully functional! I talk to Andy North outside of the forums and he thought you guys may enjoy seeing this, even though this isnt a gear head forum like EEVBlog
The cover really needs a repaint and the binding posts should be replaced. Im scared to touch it up, I have the paint and everything but I here restoration degrades the value. I plan to use it when 2.5 digits is fine for a quick test. My 16 month old daughter already knows component names and watches eevblog with me, so I went out and got an RS 200 in 1 kit for here in the coming years, I was hoping to pass it down,
Comments
I am totally jealous.
I would not ever consider any repaint or "touch up". Not unless the thing is in a totally gross condition.
Never mind the degradation of the resale value, I would never think to sell such a thing if I had one, but such a paint job totally destroys the character of the thing for myself. It is what it is.
Besides, you have better things to spend your time on I'm sure.
They also came in an amazing variety of shapes and sizes.
Given that Nixies are amazingly rare now a days you might think about getting some replacements in now. I'm sure you can find out the details of the tubes in that box.
Also the 7441 driver chips are amazingly rare. I assume that is what it uses.
My original clock just died one day, no display at all. Which was better than my friends Nixie clock that exploded on his mothers mantle piece! He had put some NiCad batteries in there so that it would keep time in a power cut. The charge circuit was a bit enthusiastic
They will live a lot longer if run at reduced brightness. Or just don't leave the thing on all the time.
Normal vacuum tubes live longer if you don't continually power them up and down. Thermal shock kills the heaters.
But Nixies will last a long time if only powered up when needed.
Quick check shows listings on ebay for them.
Still need an SB-104A. Someday.
At the VCF East earlier this year I nearly found out how much an ET3400 was and then bought one. He had two, (or was it three) there.
And erco? One of your bots is doing the impossible, escaping. Be careful!
@Buck, Erco, I must say im super jealous I really really want an ET3400, once again great learning aid!! As for heathkit bot's lets just say that would be awesome but I doubt ill ever end up with one... that's a serious investment for a toy
For you that's good to know. Erco (or "erco") knows I'm kidding. Actually the bot bought himself a bus ticket and he's now on his way to Detroit.
Yes indeed about the box, I'm definitely going to the event next year, and I hope to buy one, if they are still there. There was also as made by them, (Heathkit, who also for a time made aircraft as the founder was a WW1 pilot.) an expansion unit. That included more memory and several other options.
I have a friend who has really been trying to lure me into HAM radio...
I see.
In my case I managed to get a friend involved in physical computing. I'm trying to get him interested in what Parallax does, however the one hang-up is the required background for the stamp's programming environment.
The Prop of course has its own support on Linux.
I was never intrested in HAM radio but these little sticks really inspired me I have since been in to satcom etc... I am soon moving to a house with my own lab and alot of propety I scored a big old C-Band dish too. I plan to use an SDR along with the C-Band dish for Radio Astronomy, and SETI League.
You can use them as police scanners etc, etc. There a good way to get in to HMA/SDR and RTL-SDR.com has all kinds of tutorials about making antennas etc fonr specialty things like satcom, ISS communication, Scanning, Radio Astronomy, etc. The best thing is since its only recive you dont need a liscence. You can even but 0-25mhz down converters for AM and shortwave, If you decide you like it go test, fairly easy didnt even do a practice exam, and pick up one of these 1mhz-6ghz send and receive https://sparkfun.com/products/13001
http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/b/6313932011
There is one guy making his own, in France I believe, he has a great video on YouTube showing how he does it. Sorry can't find it now.
However it seems to be quite a fad for people to build Nixie clocks now a days and I hate to think of all those glorious pieces of old test gear being destroyed so that they can do that.
Ive acually seen people pick some of these up if they dont get thrown away and replace the nixie drivers with 7 segment 74xx BCD chips just to use the gear. Sadly most of these people dump the equipment and sell the nixies. The most idiotic part is I bet anyone would pay alot more for a rubium referenced frequency counter with a nixie display even if broken than they would pay for the tubes!
I would love it if said "retro" and "steam punk" guys would actually learn the skills required to make the things they are butchering. Then they would have some respect.
I like the old tube stereos with a brushed brass front plate, big knobs, maybe a walnut enclosure. For 20 watts of stereo, you seemed to run about 500 watts of heat that could keep your coffee warm on a cold day.
My last one was a Fisher 500C that had been completely restored.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=fisher+500c
And the guy that bought it also got a dozen matched sets of 12AX7 Textronic lable tubes tossed for free. I'd paid 25 cents each for those.
Sad thing is very few ham radios were built with Nixies. Maybe some day the geek gods will smile upon me and grace me with one.
Jonathan - KK6RPX
I think you mean Rubidium if you are referring to a Rubidium atomic clock or frequency standard.
@Loopy
Re: "The 'nixie' tubes are delightful."
Back when most of the equipment I serviced used nixie tubes for displays I thought they were anything but delightful. To me the switch to 7 segment led displays was like a gift from above. It wasn't so much the nixie tubes, more the 170V supplies and the 7441 BCD to Decimal decoder chips that caused so much grief. Now that I haven't had to deal with them for a couple of decades they don't seem to be so bad.
JOnathan
Nixie tubes do have their own unique charm, and are pretty reliable, particularly when they are not left on 24 hours a day 365 days a year in a chassis that runs as hot as they did.